Ketamine-augmented psychotherapy to treat OCD

People who suffer from OCD are under pressure to repeat certain behaviors, rituals, and thoughts in a recurring manner. This may involve checking again and again whether the door is really locked properly. It may also involve constantly cleaning one’s own hands or objects. The list of examples is long. Those affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder suffer greatly from these thoughts or actions that they cannot control. OCD can significantly impact their lives (1).

We have compiled more information about OCD. Here you can read more about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be treated with various methods. These include psychotherapy and drug therapy, especially antidepressants. On this page, we will discuss the treatment of OCD with ketamine-augmented psychotherapy.

If previous therapies have not shown sufficient therapeutic success, Augmented Psychotherapy with ketamine can be another treatment option. We use ketamine’s possible rapid antidepressant effect, as well as its mind-altering effects. This can be a new impetus towards improvement, even after prolonged therapy.

In altered states of consciousness, people can often break through entrenched patterns of thought and behavior. This can positively impact a new therapeutic process. In altered states of consciousness, it is not uncommon for people to gain important insights and knowledge about themselves and their environments, which can be very valuable in the treatment of their psychological disorders. For this reason, Augmented Psychotherapy can be a treatment option even after a long course of illness and set the process of change in motion.

It is not uncommon for depressive symptoms to accompany obsessive-compulsive disorder. The rapid antidepressant effects which appear after ketamine administration allow patients to work more actively on their obsessive-compulsive disorder in therapy, with a diminished burden from depressive symptoms. Experiences with altered states of consciousness commonly lead to less rigidly entrenched patterns of thought and behavior, which are typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In these cases, integration psychotherapy is helpful for sustaining helping you shape these changes in a lasting way.